Institute of Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The ICAM researches the conditions, effects and aesthetics of digital media in connection with processes of culturalization, the technologization of social and economic relations, and the generation and archiving of knowledge. Our studies reflect on how (digital) media always also contribute to shaping the signs and objects they store, transmit or process in a specific way. At the same time, we are interested in how certain cultural techniques contribute to shaping the usage and areas of application of digital media.

Researchers at the ICAM explore the cultural and technological history of digital media—from cybernetics and the beginnings of the computer all the way to present-day network technologies, from textual and acoustic to visual forms of media representation, and from the classics to current concepts of media theory formation.

Main research areas

The ICAM researches the conditions, effects and aesthetics of digital media in connection with processes of culturalization, the technologization of social and economic relations, and the generation and archiving of knowledge. Our studies reflect on how (digital) media always also contribute to shaping the signs and objects they store, transmit or process in a specific way. At the same time, we are interested in how certain cultural techniques contribute to shaping the usage and areas of application of digital media.

In the different core areas researchers at the ICAM explore the cultural and technological history of digital media—from cybernetics and the beginnings of the computer all the way to present-day network technologies, from textual and acoustic to visual forms of media representation, and from the classics to current concepts of media theory formation. 

The ICAM maintains close institutional contact and cooperates with the Leuphana, e.g., the Moving Image Lab of the Innovation Incubator, the Leuphana College, the Leuphana Arts Program and the Leuphana Graduate School. Furthermore, the ICAM is responsible for the Audio and Video Labs of the Computer and Media Center of Leuphana. 

  1. 2020
  2. Published

    The Great Pacific Garbage Catch: Müll als Medium einer ›Plastic Oceanography

    Vehlken, S., 10.2020, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 23, 2, p. 84-98 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Introduction to Thinking the Problematic: Decentring as Method and Ethos

    Leistert, O. & Schrickel, I., 06.10.2020, Thinking the problematic: genealogies and explorations between philosophy and the sciences. Leistert, O. & Schrickel, I. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 9-34 26 p. (Philosophy).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  4. Published

    Atomic Animals: Tiere als Medien nuklearer Forschung

    Vehlken, S., 26.10.2020, In: Tierstudien. 18, p. 45-56 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Thinking the Problematic: Genealogies and Explorations between Philosophy and the Sciences

    Leistert, O. (Editor) & Schrickel, I. (Editor), 26.10.2020, Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. 197 p. (Philosophy)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Games und Gamification: Kulturhistorische, medienwissenschaftliche, politische und ästhetische Dimensionen

    Fuchs, M., 23.11.2020, Lüneburg. 318 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesPost-doctoral dissertations

  7. 2021
  8. Published

    Brüchige Hermetik – Zu geschichtstheoretischen Figuren bei Spengler und Kittler

    Schnödl, G., 2021, In: Links Rivista Di Letteratura E Cultura Tedesca. 21, p. 33-42 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Critique and the Digital

    Hörl, E. (Editor), Pinkrah, N. Y. (Editor) & Warnsholdt, C. L. (Editor), 2021, Zürich/Berlin: Diaphanes Verlag. 296 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesTransfer

  10. Published

    Critique of Environmentality: On the World-Wide Axiomatics of Environmentalitarian Time

    Hörl, E., 2021, Critique and the Digital. Hörl, E., Pinkrah, N. & Warnsholdt, L. (eds.). Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 109-146 38 p. (Critical Stances).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Cultural Politics of Games

    Fuchs, M., 2021, Strategies in Contemporary New Media Art. Grau, O. & Hinterwaldner, I. (eds.). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur, p. 78-86 9 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  12. Published

    Dis/Ability and Digital Cultures. A Media-Archaeological Perspective on Inclusion as a Cipher

    Müggenburg, J., 2021, Inklusion als Chiffre?: Bildungshistorische Analysen und Reflexionen. Vogt, M., Boger, M.-A. & Bühler, P. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 93-105 13 p. (Historische Bildungsforschung).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch